Rent Affordability for A Registered Nurse in California

A typical registered nurse in California earns about $111,486 a year, which supports approximately $2,787 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked California city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 110 of 200 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 90 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕Median rent↕% of income↑Affordability
Porterville, CA$1,475/mo15.9%very comfortable
Chico, CA$1,561/mo16.8%very comfortable
El Centro, CA$1,573/mo16.9%very comfortable
Redding, CA$1,647/mo17.7%very comfortable
Carmichael, CA$1,757/mo18.9%very comfortable
Huntington Park, CA$1,768/mo19%very comfortable
Tulare, CA$1,792/mo19.3%very comfortable
Visalia, CA$1,839/mo19.8%very comfortable
Hemet, CA$1,839/mo19.8%very comfortable
Citrus Heights, CA$1,883/mo20.3%affordable
Apple Valley, CA$1,899/mo20.4%affordable
Bakersfield, CA$1,901/mo20.5%affordable
Colton, CA$1,929/mo20.8%affordable
Fresno, CA$1,945/mo20.9%affordable
Ceres, CA$1,960/mo21.1%affordable
San Bernardino, CA$1,971/mo21.2%affordable
Yuba City, CA$1,993/mo21.5%affordable
Hanford, CA$2,008/mo21.6%affordable
Modesto, CA$2,022/mo21.8%affordable
Florin, CA$2,024/mo21.8%affordable
Stockton, CA$2,032/mo21.9%affordable
Sacramento, CA$2,045/mo22%affordable
Merced, CA$2,041/mo22%affordable
Lynwood, CA$2,045/mo22%affordable
Turlock, CA$2,064/mo22.2%affordable
Palm Springs, CA$2,067/mo22.2%affordable
East Los Angeles, CA$2,125/mo22.9%affordable
Hawthorne, CA$2,151/mo23.2%affordable
Madera, CA$2,162/mo23.3%affordable
Vallejo, CA$2,200/mo23.7%affordable
Yucaipa, CA$2,199/mo23.7%affordable
Bellflower, CA$2,221/mo23.9%affordable
Hesperia, CA$2,237/mo24.1%affordable
Victorville, CA$2,248/mo24.2%affordable
Downey, CA$2,257/mo24.3%affordable
El Cajon, CA$2,259/mo24.3%affordable
West Sacramento, CA$2,263/mo24.4%affordable
Lodi, CA$2,278/mo24.5%affordable
Woodland, CA$2,287/mo24.6%affordable
South Gate, CA$2,291/mo24.7%affordable
Pico Rivera, CA$2,291/mo24.7%affordable
Compton, CA$2,315/mo24.9%affordable
Indio, CA$2,316/mo24.9%affordable
Pomona, CA$2,319/mo25%affordable
Gardena, CA$2,334/mo25.1%affordable
Cathedral City, CA$2,343/mo25.2%affordable
Lake Elsinore, CA$2,348/mo25.3%affordable
Los Banos, CA$2,354/mo25.3%affordable
San Jacinto, CA$2,366/mo25.5%affordable
Clovis, CA$2,381/mo25.6%affordable
Upland, CA$2,392/mo25.7%affordable
Antelope, CA$2,389/mo25.7%affordable
Redlands, CA$2,398/mo25.8%affordable
Davis, CA$2,394/mo25.8%affordable
Whittier, CA$2,402/mo25.9%affordable
Rocklin, CA$2,408/mo25.9%affordable
Long Beach, CA$2,412/mo26%affordable
Moreno Valley, CA$2,412/mo26%affordable
Rancho Cordova, CA$2,412/mo26%affordable
Riverside, CA$2,427/mo26.1%affordable
Fairfield, CA$2,425/mo26.1%affordable
Pittsburg, CA$2,429/mo26.1%affordable
National City, CA$2,426/mo26.1%affordable
Rowland Heights, CA$2,421/mo26.1%affordable
El Monte, CA$2,451/mo26.4%affordable
Lancaster, CA$2,460/mo26.5%affordable
Inglewood, CA$2,487/mo26.8%affordable
Santa Maria, CA$2,509/mo27%affordable
Roseville, CA$2,521/mo27.1%affordable
San Leandro, CA$2,517/mo27.1%affordable
Salinas, CA$2,530/mo27.2%affordable
Manteca, CA$2,530/mo27.2%affordable
Richmond, CA$2,538/mo27.3%affordable
Azusa, CA$2,532/mo27.3%affordable
Rohnert Park, CA$2,533/mo27.3%affordable
West Covina, CA$2,552/mo27.5%affordable
Concord, CA$2,569/mo27.7%affordable
Ontario, CA$2,580/mo27.8%affordable
Santa Rosa, CA$2,582/mo27.8%affordable
Escondido, CA$2,590/mo27.9%affordable
Buena Park, CA$2,590/mo27.9%affordable
Covina, CA$2,598/mo28%affordable
Vacaville, CA$2,627/mo28.3%affordable
La Mesa, CA$2,627/mo28.3%affordable
Highland, CA$2,630/mo28.3%affordable
Monterey Park, CA$2,638/mo28.4%affordable
Hayward, CA$2,652/mo28.5%affordable
Murrieta, CA$2,650/mo28.5%affordable
Alhambra, CA$2,645/mo28.5%affordable
Corona, CA$2,661/mo28.6%affordable
Norwalk, CA$2,662/mo28.7%affordable
Folsom, CA$2,667/mo28.7%affordable
Rialto, CA$2,675/mo28.8%affordable
Elk Grove, CA$2,688/mo28.9%affordable
Florence-Graham, CA$2,691/mo29%affordable
Garden Grove, CA$2,703/mo29.1%affordable
Vista, CA$2,726/mo29.3%affordable
Jurupa Valley, CA$2,727/mo29.4%affordable
Tracy, CA$2,742/mo29.5%affordable
La Habra, CA$2,753/mo29.6%affordable
Palm Desert, CA$2,749/mo29.6%affordable
Oakland, CA$2,758/mo29.7%affordable
Anaheim, CA$2,755/mo29.7%affordable
Rosemead, CA$2,755/mo29.7%affordable
Los Angeles, CA$2,772/mo29.8%affordable
Glendale, CA$2,765/mo29.8%affordable
Palmdale, CA$2,780/mo29.9%affordable
Simi Valley, CA$2,778/mo29.9%affordable
Santa Clarita, CA$2,783/mo30%affordable
Rancho Cucamonga, CA$2,786/mo30%affordable
Paramount, CA$2,806/mo30.2%stretched
Antioch, CA$2,814/mo30.3%stretched
Napa, CA$2,815/mo30.3%stretched
Santa Ana, CA$2,820/mo30.4%stretched
Montebello, CA$2,837/mo30.5%stretched
Santee, CA$2,829/mo30.5%stretched
Perris, CA$2,846/mo30.6%stretched
Berkeley, CA$2,853/mo30.7%stretched
Westminster, CA$2,851/mo30.7%stretched
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA$2,849/mo30.7%stretched
Petaluma, CA$2,869/mo30.9%stretched
Alameda, CA$2,876/mo31%stretched
Beaumont, CA$2,880/mo31%stretched
Placentia, CA$2,882/mo31%stretched
Fullerton, CA$2,888/mo31.1%stretched
Oxnard, CA$2,894/mo31.2%stretched
Oceanside, CA$2,910/mo31.3%stretched
Carson, CA$2,909/mo31.3%stretched
Camarillo, CA$2,911/mo31.3%stretched
Union City, CA$2,913/mo31.4%stretched
Brea, CA$2,916/mo31.4%stretched
Walnut Creek, CA$2,924/mo31.5%stretched
Chula Vista, CA$2,935/mo31.6%stretched
Temecula, CA$2,946/mo31.7%stretched
Menifee, CA$2,945/mo31.7%stretched
Baldwin Park, CA$2,959/mo31.8%stretched
Glendora, CA$2,950/mo31.8%stretched
San Luis Obispo, CA$2,968/mo31.9%stretched
San Diego, CA$3,004/mo32.3%stretched
Fountain Valley, CA$2,998/mo32.3%stretched
Torrance, CA$3,006/mo32.4%stretched
Pasadena, CA$3,010/mo32.4%stretched
Castro Valley, CA$3,011/mo32.4%stretched
Cypress, CA$3,015/mo32.5%stretched
Orange, CA$3,037/mo32.7%stretched
Daly City, CA$3,046/mo32.8%stretched
Livermore, CA$3,066/mo33%stretched
El Dorado Hills, CA$3,070/mo33%stretched
Chino Hills, CA$3,085/mo33.2%stretched
Huntington Beach, CA$3,105/mo33.4%stretched
Gilroy, CA$3,099/mo33.4%stretched
Costa Mesa, CA$3,121/mo33.6%stretched
San Ramon, CA$3,121/mo33.6%stretched
Lake Forest, CA$3,166/mo34.1%stretched
San Rafael, CA$3,166/mo34.1%stretched
Pleasanton, CA$3,175/mo34.2%stretched
Fontana, CA$3,191/mo34.3%stretched
La Mirada, CA$3,191/mo34.3%stretched
Tustin, CA$3,229/mo34.8%stretched
Chino, CA$3,286/mo35.4%stretched
Diamond Bar, CA$3,294/mo35.5%stretched
Oakley, CA$3,294/mo35.5%stretched
San Marcos, CA$3,311/mo35.6%stretched
Dublin, CA$3,325/mo35.8%stretched
Poway, CA$3,325/mo35.8%stretched
Watsonville, CA$3,332/mo35.9%stretched
Laguna Niguel, CA$3,343/mo36%stretched
Thousand Oaks, CA$3,357/mo36.1%stretched
Cerritos, CA$3,385/mo36.4%stretched
Fremont, CA$3,388/mo36.5%stretched
Lakewood, CA$3,401/mo36.6%stretched
San Clemente, CA$3,411/mo36.7%stretched
Arcadia, CA$3,412/mo36.7%stretched
Brentwood, CA$3,420/mo36.8%stretched
Santa Cruz, CA$3,418/mo36.8%stretched
Redondo Beach, CA$3,483/mo37.5%stretched
Aliso Viejo, CA$3,484/mo37.5%stretched
Santa Monica, CA$3,516/mo37.8%stretched
Carlsbad, CA$3,531/mo38%stretched
Hacienda Heights, CA$3,538/mo38.1%stretched
San Jose, CA$3,582/mo38.6%stretched
Irvine, CA$3,604/mo38.8%stretched
Milpitas, CA$3,614/mo38.9%stretched
Santa Barbara, CA$3,642/mo39.2%stretched
Eastvale, CA$3,659/mo39.4%stretched
Newark, CA$3,670/mo39.5%stretched
Morgan Hill, CA$3,797/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Yorba Linda, CA$3,870/mo41.7%rent-burdened
Santa Clara, CA$3,958/mo42.6%rent-burdened
San Mateo, CA$3,968/mo42.7%rent-burdened
Novato, CA$3,969/mo42.7%rent-burdened
Sunnyvale, CA$3,972/mo42.8%rent-burdened
South San Francisco, CA$4,141/mo44.6%rent-burdened
Redwood City, CA$4,301/mo46.3%rent-burdened
Cupertino, CA$4,307/mo46.4%rent-burdened
Encinitas, CA$4,340/mo46.7%rent-burdened
Newport Beach, CA$4,364/mo47%rent-burdened
Mountain View, CA$4,535/mo48.8%rent-burdened
Palo Alto, CA$4,558/mo49.1%rent-burdened
San Francisco, CA$4,784/mo51.5%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for California. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).